Family planning-related knowledge, attitudes and practices among T'boli married men (TMM)

• Main Author: Atam, Geron M.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1999
• Subjects: Birth control; Husbands; Manners and customs; Tboli (Philippine people) > Social life and customs; Health attitudes; Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/2028
• Institution: De La Salle University

The study is conducted to determine the factors that affect the use of FP methods among T'boli married men.Thirty respondents (15 users or acceptors and 15 non-users or non-acceptors) were interviewed using an in-depth interview guide.Majority of the users had higher education than non-users. Majority of the user-respondents used the male-centered methods. Seven out of 8 husbands used condom independently, while seven out of 10 used withdrawal methods. Education appears to be a strong predictor of FP acceptance among T'boli married men.The study found that respondents have various fears and apprehensions about FP, e.g., becoming weak and being unable to farm due to vasectomy, the wife developing a tumor when menstruation is delayed fear of the wife becoming a sex maniac after being sterilized fear of the IUD thread being lodged in the vagina. These findings imply that negative beliefs prevent people from using a certain method.The attitude among men is influenced also by the interactions between health worker and client. Men were embarrassed to show their private parts to the health worker. Likewise, it appears that the clients do not understand the language used (Tagalog, Ilonggo, and Cebuano) by the health workers. It implies that the quality and quantity of interactions reinforce the client's FP knowledge. These findings suggest that a client's tendency to adopt, continue or stop using a certain method can be attributed to the kind of service that a FP service provider give to the client. Users are younger, better educated and have intermarried with Visayans, and are considered to have a lower socio-economic status. In contrast, non-users are relatively older and are less educated, they are more traditional in that they had arranged marriages and favor polygamy.The cultural ideal of having many children and many wives and families is the most influential factor on men's attitudes toward FP. Men belonging to a large clan are considered as prominent leaders in their community. Finally, an interesting finding of the study is that users consider themselves as more responsible fathers and view non-users to have broken families. They believe that non-users could no longer give the same sexual performance to his other wives. They believe that the man might have no more energy to satisfy his wives sexually since his schedule to sleep with his wives is very short. Thus, user respondents claimed that some second or third wives have deceived their husband because of lack of sexual satisfaction. It implies that the knowledge of FP among men could be improved when better IEC materials are developed.